The invention disclosed herein relates generally to an apparatus and method for installing a c-clip. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosed invention relate to a cool for installing a c-clip outside a far end of a passage.
Embodiments of a c-clip usually comprise a ring-like piece of metal that is open in it natural state. However, c-clip can be forced into a closed position, thereby reducing the overall radius of the c-clip. The reduced radius of a c-clip permits the c-clip to be inserted into destinations where it could not have been inserted with its larger radius. In some situations, the reduced-radius c-clip is inserted into a place, where the c-clip then opens into its natural state as a result of its own restoring force.
One example of this situation is in the construction of an engine piston unit. The interior of the piston is hollow and has a wristpin running across the length of the hollow to hold at its center a reciprocating rod. Since the wristpin length is shorter than the length of the hollow, a hole is bored on each side of the engine piston unit. Each end of the wristpin rests in each one of the bores. However, means are necessary to keep the wristpin from sliding horizontally along the longitudinal axis of the bores. A c-clip is useful, for example, to prevent said wristpin sliding.
However, in this example, the radius of the bore is smaller than the radius of the open c-clip and larger than the radius of the c-clip, thus allowing passage only of the c-clip in closed position. At the end of the bore near the wristpin is a groove having a larger radius than the open c-clip. This allows the open c-clip to securely rest near the wristpin, where the groove holds it in place. A c-clip is placed in the groove of each bore so that one c-clip is used for each end of the wristpin.
However, this type of construction presents the problem of how to actually insert the c-clip through the bore and into groove. Furthermore, this problem is persistent in any context where a c-clip needs to be installed outside a far end of a passage. Manual insertion might be possible in some situations, but extremely difficult due to the size of the components. Moreover, it is increasingly difficult to install a c-clip in situations where the passage is increasingly long.
Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for installing a c-clip outside a far end of a passage. The apparatus comprises a plurality of prong members each comprising a prong end and a base, where at least a subset of the plurality of prong member each have a lip part below the prong end; a base secured to the base ends, so that each of the plurality of prong members are substantially parallel with each other of the plurality of prong members, and so that the lip parts form a ring-shaped lip adapted to secure the c-clip; and a tube comprising an inner surface having a varying radius, an outer surface, a front opening having a front opening inner surface radius, and a rear opening having a rear opening inner surface radius; wherein the base is operable to insert the prong members at least partially through the front opening and against the inner surface, the inner surface forcing the c-clip to close into a closed c-clip and the prong ends to converge into converged prong ends, and wherein the base is operable to move the prong ends at least partially through the rear opening. The illustrated embodiment comprises four prong members, four base ends, four prong ends, and four lip parts.
In some embodiments, the base is operable to move the prong ends at least partially through the rear opening, thereby permitting a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip. Moreover, in some embodiments, each base end is evenly spaced to form at the base an outline of a regular polygon shape. In some embodiments, each prong end comprises a sector shaped prong end, and wherein the converged prong ends comprise at least one of a ring shape and a circle shape. In some embodiment, each sector shaped prong end is associated with a central angle approximately equal to the quotient of 360 degrees divided by a value representative of a total quantity of the plurality of prong ends.
In some embodiments, the base and at least one of the plurality of prong members form a unitary structure. In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of prong members comprises at least one resilient prong member. In some embodiments, the base is operable to move the prong ends at least partially through the rear opening, thereby permitting a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip.
In some embodiments, the front opening inner surface radius of the tube is greater than the rear opening inner surface radius of the tube. Moreover, some embodiments comprise a tube extension comprising a tube extension inner surface radius substantially equal to the rear opening inner surface radius; a tube extension outer surface radius; and a tube extension rear opening; wherein the tube extension extends from the rear opening and is sized to be insertable in the passage. In some embodiments, the base is operable to move the prong ends at least partially through the tube extension rear opening, thereby permitting a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip.
Also disclosed herein is an apparatus for installing a c-clip outside a far end of a passage. The apparatus comprises compression means for closing the c-clip; positioning means for positioning the closed c-clip through the passage and outside the far end; and securing means for securing the clip during compression and positioning. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprising expansion means for opening the closed c-clip at the far end.
Also disclosed herein is a method for installing a c-clip outside a far end of a passage. The method comprises providing a plurality of prong members each comprising a prong end and a base end, at least a subset of the plurality of prong member each have a lip part below the prong end; providing a base secured to the base ends, so that each of the plurality of prong members are substantially parallel with each other of the plurality of prong members, and so that the lip parts form a ring-shaped lip adapted to secure the c-clip; providing a tube comprising an inner surface having a varying radius, an outer surface, a front opening, and a rear opening; placing the c-clip on the ring-shaped lip; using the base to insert the prong members at least partially through the front opening and against the inner surface, so that the varying radius forces the c-clip to close into a closed c-clip and the prong ends to converge into converged prong ends; and using the base to move the prong ends at least partially through the rear opening. In some embodiments providing a tube comprises providing a tube having a front opening inner surface radius that is greater than a rear opening inner surface radius.
In some embodiments, using the base to move comprises using the base to move the prong ends at least partially through the rear opening to permit a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip. In some embodiments, using the base to move comprises at least one of operating the base by hand, operating the tube by hand, operating the base by machine, and operating the tub by machine.
In some embodiments, using the base to move comprises using the base to move the prong ends at least partially through the rear opening to permit a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip. In some embodiments, providing a plurality of prong members comprises providing four prong members, four base ends, four prong ends, and four lip parts. In some embodiment, providing the base and providing at least one of the plurality of prong members comprises providing a unitary structure. In some embodiments, providing the plurality of prong members comprises providing a plurality of a sector shaped prong ends.
In some embodiments, the method comprises providing a tube extension extending from the rear opening, having a tube extension inner surface radius substantially equal to the rear opening inner surface radius, a tube extension outer surface radius sized to fit within the passage, and having a tube extension rear opening, and wherein using the base to move comprises using the base to move the prong ends at least partially through the tube extension rear opening to permit a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip. In some embodiments, the method comprises inserting the tube extension in the passage, wherein using the base to move comprises using the base to move the prong ends at least partially through the tube extension rear opening to permit a restoring force of the closed c-clip to open the closed c-clip outside the far end.